Laetare Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Lent, a day of joy in the middle of the penitential season, named from the first word of its Introit: Laetare, “Rejoice.” Priests may wear rose-colored vestments instead of violet, flowers may return to the altar and the organ may play more freely, as a foretaste of Easter. In 2027 Laetare Sunday falls on March 7, three weeks before Easter. Below is the meaning of the day, its ancient Introit, its customs from Mothering Sunday to the Golden Rose, and a prayer.
Why is it called Laetare Sunday?
The Mass of the day begins with an antiphon from the prophet Isaiah, Laetare, Ierusalem: “Rejoice, Jerusalem.” In the traditional Roman Missal, the whole Introit reads:
Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and come together all you that love her; rejoice with joy you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. (Psalm 121) I was glad when they said unto me: Let us go into the house of the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lent is more than half over, and the Church encourages us not to lose heart. Like Gaudete Sunday in Advent, Laetare Sunday is a pause of joy in a season of waiting and penance. See Gaudete Sunday.
Rose vestments
Laetare and Gaudete are the only two Sundays of the year on which rose vestments may be worn. Rose is violet lightened, the color of dawn before the sun rises: the penitential season is not over, but Easter’s light is already breaking. If a parish has no rose vestments, violet is used.
The Gospel of Laetare Sunday
In the three-year cycle of Sunday readings, the Gospel of the Fourth Sunday of Lent is:
- Year A: the man born blind (John 9), often used in any year where there are catechumens preparing for Baptism.
- Year B (2027): Jesus and Nicodemus, “God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son” (John 3:14–21).
- Year C: the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15).
See Sunday Mass readings and Lent 2027.
Customs of Laetare Sunday
- Mothering Sunday. In England and Ireland, people traditionally visited their “mother church,” the cathedral or the church where they were baptized, on this Sunday, and servants were given the day off to visit their mothers. Mothering Sunday is still the British Mother’s Day.
- The Golden Rose. On Laetare Sunday the pope traditionally blessed a golden rose, which he might send as an honor to a Catholic sovereign, a shrine or a city. Hence the day’s other name, Rose Sunday.
- Refreshment Sunday. Because the old Gospel of the day was the feeding of the five thousand, the day was also called Refreshment Sunday, and some places relaxed the Lenten fast.
- The Laetare Medal. The University of Notre Dame announces its Laetare Medal, an award to an outstanding American Catholic, on this Sunday each year.
A prayer for Laetare Sunday
Written for this page:
Lord God, in the middle of our Lenten journey you tell us to rejoice.
When our fasting feels long and our efforts small,
lift our eyes to the light of Easter that is already dawning.
Renew our joy in your mercy, and help us finish this Lent with generous hearts. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
When is Laetare Sunday 2027?
Sunday, March 7, 2027, the Fourth Sunday of Lent.
What color is used on Laetare Sunday?
Rose, or violet where rose vestments are not available.
Can you break your Lenten sacrifice on Laetare Sunday?
Sundays are not counted among the forty days of Lenten fasting, and Laetare Sunday has an especially joyful character, but there is no rule about personal Lenten resolutions. Many people simply keep their sacrifices through Lent.
What does Laetare mean?
“Rejoice,” the first word of the Latin Introit, Laetare, Ierusalem.
More Lent pages
Texts and sources
- Introit: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916 daily missal), Fourth Sunday of Lent, public domain (archive.org). OCR errors corrected.
- Isaias 66:10–11 and Psalm 121:1 (Douay-Rheims); John 3:16.